Gene Hackman, wife Betsy's pal reveals special trait about late couple

Gene Hackman and wife Betsy were found dead in their New Mexico home on Wednesday, February 26th.

The couple’s friends remembered them as devoted pet lovers and the soft corner they held for dogs.

Friend Daniel Lenihan and his wife Barbara Lenihan told the People magazine that the deceased were "very responsible" pet owners.

Their son Aaron Lenihan added, "They always had German shepherd rescues, and they were really good to their dogs and very responsible dog owners." 

He said that currently he doesn’t know where the other two canines are.

"Yeah, I know it's something that they would be concerned about, and yeah, we don't know," he continued.

The Lenihans told the outlet that they believed Hackman and Arakawa were in good health, and although the musician was concerned about being exposed to COVID, the pair stayed active.

"[Betsy] was very protective of him in terms of COVID, so she'd always wear a mask when we'd see her out, but she was still trying to keep him as active and engaged and healthy as possible," he said.

Aaron went on to say, "I mean, honestly, they were one of the tightest couples I've seen. They seemed like real life partners, really, really close to each other, and they were both incredibly kind. And they were reserved, but they were real."

The cause of death has not yet been determined for the couple. The Santa Fe County Sheriff said that the actor had been dead for nine days before he and his wife were found along with the body of one of their three dogs.

The Sherriff also said that there were no signs of foul play in their deaths while also admitting the circumstances were "unusual".